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Wyoming Seminary is stripping kids-for-cash developer Robert K. Mericle's name from its football field after a week of public outcry, the school's board said Wednesday.

"This decision was made after a thorough review of the current situation and after meeting with the Mericle family, who had agreed to provide support for the stadium renovation project when approached by the school," Richard M. Goldberg, chairman of the Wyoming Seminary Board of Trustees said in a statement.

Wyoming Seminary had affixed Mericle's name to the renovated Nesbitt Memorial Stadium after he helped finance renovations.

“The school president’s initial decision to name the field has unintentionally detracted from the focus of Wyoming Seminary’s mission of providing superior educational opportunities,” Goldberg wrote Wednesday.

Later, Wyoming Seminary officials claimed the statement was inaccurate and altered Goldberg’s quote to read: “The initial decision to name the field has detracted from the focus of Wyoming Seminary’s mission.”

Mericle paid $2.1 million to former county judges Michael T. Conahan and Mark A. Ciavarella Jr., who placed juveniles in two for-profit detention centers built by Mericle’s construction firm. Mericle pleaded guilty in September 2009 to failing to report a felony in the case and is expected to serve federal prison time after he testifies for the prosecution in another federal public corruption case against former state Sen. Raphael J. Musto.

In 2011, a federal judge authorized the distribution of $2.15 million Mericle set aside for children’s charities as part of his plea deal. In December, Mericle paid $17.75 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed against him by more than 1,000 former offenders who appeared in Luzerne County juvenile court between 2004 and 2008.

Mericle Construction Inc. served as the general contractor for the renovation of the field, formerly known as Nesbitt Memorial Stadium. Work got underway in January and students have being playing athletic events on “Mericle Field” for several weeks now. Mericle’s daughter graduated from the school in the spring.

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